1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to unmanned air reconnaissance vehicles and, more particularly, to a shoulder launched unmanned reconnaissance system for providing visual reconnaissance and intelligence support to front line troops.
Despite the utilization of high technology line-of-sight sensor systems, front line infantry still face major problems conducting close in reconnaissance. Often the only way to find whether an enemy is around the next bend in a road, over the next hill, or in the next urban block is to physically enter the area and expose ground troops to ambush or attack. Thus, military ground troops need a very close in reconnaissance method to minimize their exposure while increasing their area of surveillance.
Such a reconnaissance system could also be used by law enforcement agencies for surveillance of high crime areas, tracking suspects on foot, and allowing police to track and intercept a fleeing vehicle without dangerous high speed chases that endanger innocent bystanders.
Similarly, such a visual reconnaissance system could be utilized by various security agencies to extend the view of ground patrol personnel to observe suspected criminal activity.
Thus, the Shoulder Launched Unmanned Reconnaissance System (SLURS) of the present invention has been developed to provide front line troops and other forces with overhead visual surveillance of enemy locations up to a range of about 10 kilometers.
2. Description of Related Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,441 to Ralmar Steuer discloses an ammunition missile with extendable glide wings which are pivotally retained in attachments which are arranged generally in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the missile on the casing of the fuselge of the missile, and which are equipped with longitudinal grooves each respectively stowing a retracted wing.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,681 to Larry D. Wedertz et al. discloses an erectable wing structure for a supersonic air frame that is stowable within the body of the airframe including a housing defining an elongated cavity in which is mounted a wing supporting strut assembly having an elongated edge strut pivoted at one within the stowable cavity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,474,257 to Jeffrey A. Fisher discloses a deployable wing comprising an internal structure having diverging leading edge spars attached to a keel spar and cross spars to form a delta wing configuration.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,990,656 to Violet C. Minnich discloses a pop-up fin construction for small missiles that includes two members that are pivotally secured together at one end with the other end of one of the members being pivotally secured to a structure and the other end of the other member being slideably mounted on a rod with tension springs biasing the two members together to form a generally triangular shape of a fin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,351,499 to Inge Maudel et al discloses a retractable, self-erecting wing for a low speed missile, having a double walled fabric body held in extended position by spring loaded struts, the fabric enclosing an air pocket which acts as a damper to prevent the wing from fluttering under certain aerodynamic conditions.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,880 to Arthur M. Frank discloses a torsion spring powered missile wing deployment system including an overcenter linkage powered by a torsion assembly capable of exerting a generally linear bias on the linkage over its full range of motion. A separate lock linkage maintains the foldable wing in a deployed position until a release actuation of the lock linkage occurs enabling wing deployment.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,166 to Fay E. Null discloses a Doppler decoy protection device comprising a missile capable of being launched from a space craft whose protection is sought, and to travel in advance thereof and at a speed greater than the speed of said space craft, guide means extendable rearwardly from said missile, Doppler decoy means slidable on said guide means for simulating the Doppler characteristics of the craft whose protection is sought.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 4,135,686 Eugen Herpfer discloses a device for starting rocket-driven missiles whose flight course is directed opposite the flight course of a carrier aircraft, which includes aerodynamically-acting braking means adapted to be extended from a position of low resistance to a position of higher resistance, and means for separating the braking means from the rocket-driven missile upon completion of the braking operation.